Download Windows 11 26H2 ISO

Microsoft has published Windows 11 26H2 Enterprise Evaluation ISOs, and the Windows 11 26H2 ISO can be downloaded free from Microsoft’s servers as of 21 September 2026. The image installs build 26300.9457, includes the KB5129195 out-of-band (OOB, released outside the monthly schedule) update, and runs for 90 days without activation.

Microsoft distributes the official file through its Windows 11 Enterprise Evaluation Centre, where registration is required, and aims the edition at IT professionals rather than home users. Both an official Microsoft link and a mirror link for the ISO are in the download box below.

What is in the Windows 11 26H2 evaluation ISO?

The Windows 11 26H2 evaluation ISO is a complete Windows 11 Enterprise installation image built on build 26300.9457, according to Neowin. Neowin lists the file as 26300.9457.260913-1737.26h2_ge_release_svc_refresh_CLIENTENTERPRISEEVAL_OEMRET_x64FRE_en-us.iso.

Microsoft released KB5129195 on 14 September 2026. The update’s release notes, which cover the 24H2 and 25H2 builds, list a fix for CVE-2026-62721, an elevation-of-privilege (EoP, an attacker gaining higher system rights) flaw in the Windows User-Mode Power Service. They also list a Remote Desktop Services (RDS) fix for connection and sign-in failures that followed the September 2026 security update.

How do I download the Windows 11 26H2 ISO from Microsoft?

The official route is Microsoft’s Windows 11 Enterprise Evaluation Center: choose the ISO download, register, then pick a language and architecture.

1. Open the Windows 11 Enterprise Evaluation Center and select the Windows 11 Enterprise ISO download.
2. Complete the registration form. Microsoft requires it before the 90-day evaluation download starts.
3. Choose the language and architecture. The page listed x64 and Arm64 images in 11 languages on 21 September 2026, while its description still read “version 25H2“.
4. Download the file. Microsoft’s page warns that the download can take a few hours, depending on the connection.

Otherwise, you can download the official ISO file for Windows 11 26H2 directly from the link above.

After installation, running winver should show build 26300.9457 if the 26H2 image was installed. Microsoft can replace evaluation media as newer builds appear, so the build number is a reliable check.

Is the Windows 11 26H2 mirror link safe?

A mirror copy is safe to install only if its SHA-256 (a 64-character fingerprint of the file) matches the value Microsoft publishes for the same ISO.

Microsoft’s Evaluation Center describes the check: compute the hash using PowerShell’s Get-FileHash command and compare it against the hash list linked on the page. Run this in PowerShell, adjusting the path if the file is saved elsewhere:

Get-FileHash "$env:USERPROFILE\Downloads\26300.9457.260913-1737.26h2_ge_release_svc_refresh_CLIENTENTERPRISEEVAL_OEMRET_x64FRE_en-us.iso" -Algorithm SHA256

If the list does not yet include the 26H2 file, compare the mirror’s hash with the hash of a copy downloaded from the official link. A mismatch indicates the file is corrupted or altered and should be deleted.

Which Windows 11 26H2 download should you use?

The Enterprise Evaluation ISO is suited to IT testing, and the Media Creation Tool is suited to home PCs, according to Windows Report. Four routes to 26H2 media exist as of 21 September 2026.

What happens when the 90-day trial ends?

When the evaluation period ends without activation, the desktop background turns black, a persistent notification says the system is not genuine, and the PC shuts down every hour, according to Microsoft’s Evaluation Center page.

The same page states that an ISO installation cannot be uninstalled and that the recovery partition cannot roll the PC back to the previous Windows version. Returning to the old version requires a clean installation and the reinstallation of programs and data. Microsoft advises backing up files and settings before installing, and a virtual machine or spare PC avoids the rollback problem entirely.

When is Windows 11 26H2 generally available?

Microsoft has not announced a general availability (GA) date for Windows 11 26H2. The company said in its 27 August 2026 Windows Insider Blog post that general availability arrives “later this calendar year”.

Microsoft is delivering 26H2 as an enablement package (eKB, a small update that switches on features already present on the PC), which Neowin identifies as eKB5121794. Windows Central, quoting Microsoft, reported that PCs on 24H2 and 25H2 move to 26H2 with a single restart. Windows Central also reported that app and driver compatibility stays identical because 26H2 shares a platform with 25H2, and it expects the release in Microsoft’s usual September-to-October window.

PCs running Windows 11 26H1, which launched on Snapdragon X2 PCs and is coming to NVIDIA RTX Spark PCs, will not be offered 26H2, Windows Central reported, because 26H1 is built on a newer platform.